obeisance

noun

Definition of obeisancenext
as in homage
a show of respect or acknowledgement of the authority or importance of another They made obeisance before the king and queen. She earned herself some political enemies when she failed to make the proper obeisance to those in power.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of obeisance But as wrong-headed as the Court’s obeisance to the executive branch has been (see, for example, its 2024 ruling on Presidential immunity), that deference has its limits. — Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 20 Feb. 2026 After a decade of seemingly supine obeisance, there is no obvious reason why the military leadership would suddenly rouse itself to oppose Xi. — Jonathan A. Czin, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2025 But Zuckerberg isn’t the only one paying abject obeisance to the president. — Max Taves, Mercury News, 11 July 2025 In the first case, Obama was accused of showing obeisance to a foreign ruler and Islam. — Brendan Cole shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for obeisance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obeisance
  1. homage
  2. respect
  3. salute
  4. nod
  5. bow
  6. reverence
  7. submissiveness
Noun
  • This is not an argument of fatalism, rather an homage to the sanctity of memory.
    — Kamau Bobb October 21, Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2026
  • What’s funny is that, much like your homage to Raul Julia’s line in 1994’s Street Fighter, that’s a Tuesday for them.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of homage
Noun
  • The display will remain up all week, giving people more time to stop by, pay their respects and remember those who have been lost.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026
  • If these agents can book accurately, respect budgets and manage the small headaches, the behavior change spreads into other categories fast.
    — Lauren Schuster, Charlotte Observer, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of respect
Noun
  • In the photo, WWE stars, several wrestling legends and production crew were seen gathered onstage for the traditional 10-bell salute in memory of Hulk.
    — Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2026
  • And managing to get the audience to deliver a Nazi salute doesn’t seem like much of a stretch these days.
    — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of salute
Noun
  • Owners Benjamin Sormonte, from the south of France, and Elisa Marshall, from Toronto, started the cafe as a nod to their mothers and early childhood experiences in the kitchen.
    — Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Nearly 13 months ago after a 30-17 victory over Detroit at Arrowhead Stadium, Chiefs coach Andy Reid embellished his postgame news conference with a nod to the men in the trenches for the offensive production.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of nod
Noun
  • Clean, conservative, and accented with tulle, silk bows, and lace appliqués, these gowns feel like a surprising pivot in bridal fashion, which has grown more avant-garde in recent years with the rise of the anti-bride.
    — Shelby Wax, Vogue, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The woolly fur on his backside is tightly clipped; at his head, the fur is combed into a topknot secured with a little pink bow.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of bow
Noun
  • He is honored on the UPS website, and the company’s leaders routinely pay him reverence.
    — Marc Levinson, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2026
  • His reverence for her motherhood — which the film avoids asking her about, substituting discussion with endless visuals of her breastfeeding and swinging her children through the waves — echoes the themes of season one.
    — Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of reverence
Noun
  • Attraction is a function of parentage and looks and submissiveness.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 6 May 2026
  • But for Coles, his indoctrination to law enforcement has been a different level of submissiveness.
    — Dan Pompei, New York Times, 2 Dec. 2025
Definition of submissiveness

Browse Nearby Words

obedient
obeisance
obeisant
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Cite this Entry

“Obeisance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obeisance. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

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